Detection Dogs: An Effective Technique for Bush Dog Surveys

DeMatteo, Karen E.; Rinas, Miguel A.; Sede, Mariano Miguel; Davenport, Barbara J.; Argüelles, Carina F.; Lovett, Keith; Parker, Patricia G.

doi:10.2193/2008-545

Cited by 38 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Despite scattered reports from the local community during occasional interviews over the seven years that we have worked in the region, the camera trap record was the first confirmed evidence of local bush dog occurrence. The low detection rate in our survey, in part, could be consequence of the species' tendency to avoid walking along roads and tracks (LIMA; JORGE; DALPONTE, 2009), or actively avoiding trails of large predators (DEMATTEO et al, 2009 Our bush dog record in the Triângulo Mineiro region, West Minas Gerais, bridges a gap in the known species occurrence within its expected geographical distribution in the Brazilian territory (JORGE et al, 2013). Despite that current highly fragmented landscape, Triângulo Mineiro region was regarded being environmentally suitable for the bush dog occurrence (ICMBIO, 2015).…”

Section: Contentsmentioning

confidence: 83%

New-record of the bush dog speothos venaticus in a human-altered landscape in west Minas Gerais, Brazil

et al. 2016

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ABSTRACT:The bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is a Neotropical canid with a wide geographic distribution.Although globally listed as Near Threatened, this species was listed as Vulnerable in a recent assessment by the Brazilian government. Few records of this mammal have been reported in the Brazilian Cerrado, and it is considered extinct in several localities as a result of human landscape fragmentation. The record presented here is the first evidence of bush dog presence in the West of Minas Gerais, Brazil, which augments the species distribution with expected occurrence for this region. The study site was a transitional area between the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, in the Triângulo Mineiro region, which is a highly fragmented landscape, dominated by cattle ranches with exotic pasture species and scattered natural patches. We recorded a single bush dog individual in our survey (4,036 camera trap/night), but our sampling success was expected compared with that of other previous mammal surveys using the camera trapping method, in part, because of the species' elusive behavior and low natural densities. This record enhances knowledge of the S. venaticus distribution. Potentially, we confirm the presence of the bug dog in a region that was regarded being environmentally suitable for this species occurrence, but where it has never been reported. Moreover, our result elucidates the potential of the natural remnants to harbor threatened species in highly human-influenced and non-protected landscapes, which is the dominant scenario found in West Minas Gerais, Brasil.

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Section: Contentsmentioning

confidence: 83%

New-record of the bush dog speothos venaticus in a human-altered landscape in west Minas Gerais, Brazil

et al. 2016

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“…Brook et al (29) successfully located Javan rhinoceros ( R. sondaicus ) dung using two professional CDDs, after just 3 weeks of handler training and dog acclimation to the new handler and new working environment. Another study, by Dematteo et al (18), demonstrated the efficacy of professionally trained CDDs to work with an unfamiliar handler. These dogs successfully located the presence of bush dogs ( Speothos venaticus ) after only 2 weeks of handler training.…”

Section: Social Characteristics Likely To Affect Conservation Detectimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conservation detection now encompasses an array of activities, including detection of live wildlife (5–8), carcass detection for birds and bats around wind turbines (9–12), and detection of scats, pathogens, and other biological materials (13–16). Several reports indicate that, in many cases, CDDs are more efficient than several other survey methods in detecting the presence/absence, and relative abundance, of plants and wildlife (3, 10, 15, 17, 18). These animals therefore represent an exciting opportunity which could substantially benefit conservation groups worldwide.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Scent Detection Dogs in Conservation Settings: A Review of Scientific Literature Regarding Their Selection

2016

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Dogs are widely used for scent detection work, assisting in searches for, among other things, missing persons, explosives, and even cancers. They are also increasingly used in conservation settings, being deployed for a range of diverse purposes. Although scent detecting dogs have been used in conservation roles for over 100 years, it is only recently that the scientific literature has begun to document their effectiveness and, importantly, how suitable dogs should initially be selected by organizations wanting to develop a detection program. In this paper, we review this literature, with the aim of extracting information that might be of value to conservation groups considering whether to invest in the use of dogs. We conclude that selection of appropriate dogs is no easy task. While olfactory ability is critical, so also are a range of other characteristics. These include biological, psychological, and social traits. At present, no validated selection tools have been published. Existing organizations have adapted selection instruments from other contexts for their use, but very little published information is available regarding the effectiveness of these instruments in a conservation setting. In the absence of clear guidelines, we urge those wanting to invest in one or more dogs for conservation purposes to proceed with extreme caution and, preferably, under the watchful eyes of an experienced professional.

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“…Detector dogs have been used to search for various species of carnivores (Wasser et al 2004;Smith et al 2005;Gompper et al 2006;Reindl-Thompson et al 2006;Long et al 2007a;Dematteo et al 2009;Brown et al 2011) and rodents (Gsell et al 2010;Duggan et al 2011;Shapira et al 2011). Detection probabilities can vary widely between species (e.g.…”

Section: Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildlife detector dogs and camera traps: a comparison of techniques for detecting feral cats

Glen

Anderson

Veltman

et al. 2016

New Zealand Journal of Zoology

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A major challenge in controlling overabundant wildlife is monitoring their populations, particularly as they decline to very low density. Camera traps and wildlife detector dogs are increasingly being used for this purpose. We compared the costeffectiveness of these two approaches for detecting feral cats (Felis catus) on two pastoral properties in Hawke's Bay, North Island, New Zealand. One property was subject to intensive pest removal, while the other had no recent history of pest control. Camera traps and wildlife detector dogs detected cats at similar rates at both sites. The operating costs of each method were also comparable. We identify a number of advantages and disadvantages of each technique, and suggest priorities for further research. ARTICLE HISTORY

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Detection Dogs: An Effective Technique for Bush Dog Surveys

Cited by 38 publications

References 43 publications

New-record of the bush dog speothos venaticus in a human-altered landscape in west Minas Gerais, Brazil

New-record of the bush dog speothos venaticus in a human-altered landscape in west Minas Gerais, Brazil

Using Scent Detection Dogs in Conservation Settings: A Review of Scientific Literature Regarding Their Selection

Wildlife detector dogs and camera traps: a comparison of techniques for detecting feral cats

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